Mother of three placed on furlough after government shutdown

by Jeannette Reyes

BEEBE (KATV) -{}A White County mother faces her first day of uncertainty after being sent home because of the government shutdown.

Crystal Ashley knew what to expect at work the next morning when congress missed its midnight deadline earlier in the week. But{}Wednesday the thought of how much is at stake truly set in when she woke up with no job to go to.

"It's really scary. I can't even explain how terrifying it is," said Ashley.

The{}29-year-old woke up to a nightmare Wednesday.

"Just thinking about it makes you sick to your stomach," she said.

She has three kids under the age of ten, including a 5-month-old baby, a mortgage, daycare and car notes with no certain way to pay them. She and her husband, an employee with the Department of Human Services, were both furloughed.

"If I can't go to work, I can't take care of my family,"{}she said.

Crystal, a supply technician for the Arkansas National Guard, is one of 1,100 employees put on furlough Tuesday.

"Today is significantly different because we only have about half of our workforce today," said Maj. Gen. William Wofford, Arkansas National Guard.

She and tens of thousands across the country are anxiously waiting at home for Congress to cut a deal after it missed it's first deadline. But with every passing day her own clock is ticking as she wonders how she's going to pay the bills.

"I can't even explain it's like what's going to happen tomorrow. How bad is this going to affect my paycheck," she said.

With the house set to vote a bill to fund reserve military personnel{}Thursday morning, Crystal says she has hope a deal will be made.

"I'm sure that they'll come up with something. I hope so. I really need a job," she said.

Congressman Tim Griffin told Channel 7 that he is confident the bill to fund inactive reserve military personnel will move quickly through the Senate and signed by the president.